Maternity slip



Sept. 4, 1956 G. A. JENCKES 2,761,148

MATERNITY SLIP Filed Aug. 1, 1955 INVENTOR Gficfienck es ATTORNEYS United States Patent MATERNITY SLIP George A. Jenckes, Shillington, Pa., assignor to Fairy Silk Mills, Inc., Shillington, Pa.

Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,422

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-73) The present invention relates to maternity slips, and more particularly, to a slip which will adjust to the changing proportions in size of the user.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a maternity slip which will comfortably fit during the early stages of a pregnancy and will expand throughout the abdomen, hip and wait areas during the pregnancy to maintain the comfortable fit without distortion of the normal hem line of the garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a maternity slip of the type described which eliminates the necessity of the wearer adjusting the garment to size.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment having panels which are adapted to expand as needed to fit during the several stages of pregnancy.

In the maternity garment field it has long been the practice to design the garments with overlapped portions having either fasterners or ties to permit the user to vary the amount of overlap of the overlapped portions to accommodate the body during the various stages of pregnancy. Garments of this type are not fashionable in that they do not conform to the normal style of womens garments, and consequently, are not attractive to the average person. Therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide a garment which will conform as nearly as possible to the fashion of the garments worn by the majority of women.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a garment formed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the garment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary central side elevation of the garment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary crosssection taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates, generally, a slip or skirted undergarment fashioned according to the invention. The slip 10 includes the garment top 11 which consists of a pair of opposed bust portions 12 and 13 and a back portion 14. Shoulder straps 15 and 16 extend from the bust portions 12 and 13, respectively, to the back portion 14 to support the garment from the shoulders. The back portion 14 extends downwardly to the waist line 17 and is joined on one side edge 18 to the bust 13 and at the other side edge 19 to the bust portion 12. A midriff panel 20 extends from the waist line 17 upwardly to the bottom edge 21 of the bust portion 12 and to the bottom edge 22 of the bust portion 13 with the upper area 23 of the midrifi portion 20 extending upwardly between the bust portions 12 and 13.

2,761,148 Patented Sept. 4, 1956 'ice The side edge 24 of the midn'ff 20 is secured to the edge 18 of the back portion 14, while the side edge 25 is secured to the side edge 19 of the back portion 14.

The top edge of the garment top 11 is finished with an edge covering 26 which extends across the top edge of both the bust portion 12 and the bust portion 13 as well as the back portion 14 and may consist of bias binding, rickrack, lace, or any other suitable material. The skirt 27 of the slip 10 includes a front panel 28 which is formed with outwardly and downwardly diverging side edges 29 and 30, an upper edge 31 which is joined to the midriff portion 20 along the waist line 17, and a bottom edge 32,

A back panel 33 is likewise joined at its upper edge 34 to the rear panel 14 along the waist line 17 and it also is provided with downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges 35 and 36. A side panel 37 extends between the front panel 28 and the back panel 33 and has its side edge 38 secured to the side edge 29 of the front panel 28 and the side edge 39 thereof joined to. the side edge 36 of the back panel 33.

A second side panel 40 has one side edge 41 thereof joined to the side edge 30 of the front panel 28, and the other side edge 42 thereof joined to the side edge 35 of the back panel 33. The side panels 37 and 40 are each provided with a bottom edge 43 which extends in the same horizontal plane with the bottom edge 32 of the panel 28 to form the bottom of the garment 10 which may be hemmed or otherwise finished with lace or like material.

The top edge 44 of the side panel 37 and the top edge 45 of the side panel 40 each terminate at a point spaced well below the waist line 17 of the garment 10, and a panel 46 is secured between the panel 37 and the waist line 17 extending from the front panel 28 of the back panel 33. Another panel 47 extends from the top edge 45 of the panel 40 to the waist line 17 and .from the front panel 28 to the back panel 33 opposite to the panel 46.

The midrifi portion 20 of the garment 10 and the panels 46 and 47 are each formed from an elastic material such as Helanca yarn which is formed according to patents numbered 2,463,618 issued March 8, 1949, and 2,655,781 issued October 20, 1953. The panels 20, 46 and 47 being formed of Helanca yarn are highly elastic in all directions and will permit the panels 28 and 33 to move apart at the waist line portion to form an enlarged waist area as well as permitting the bust portions 12 and 13 to expand away from the waist line 17 to accommodate the enlarged busts normal during pregnancy.

It can readily be seen that the garment styled according to the invention maintains the desired fashion, Waist line, and hem line even though the waist area of the garment is grossly enlarged beyond the normal size.

As used herein, the term elastic is meant to be generic and not a rubber material but stretch or stretchable material, not necessarily rubber or rubber yarn.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A maternity slip comprising a waist portion including an upper back panel extending from the waist line to the top of the garment and a pair of oppositely disposed bust portions extending from the opposite side edges of the back panel and forming the front of the waist portion of the garment, a midrifl? extending from opposite side edges of the back panel below said bust portions and being joined along its upper edge to the lower edges of said bust portions, the entire lower edge of said midriff extending to and forming the front waist line of the garment, a skirt portion comprising substantially identical front and back panels extending from the waist line of the garment to the hem line of the same, said front and back panels having outwardly and downwardly diver ing side edges, side panels joined to respective side edges of said front and back panels and extending from the hem line of the garment to a point well below the waist line of the garment, and a pair of upper side panels extending from the top edge of said side panels to the waist line of the garment and from the respective side edges of the front panel to the respective side edges of the back panel, said upperside panel and said midriff being formed of relatively highly elastic material having stretch charaeteristics in circumferential and longitudinal directions, the remaining portions of the garment being generally of inelastic material.

2. A maternityslip accordingtoclaim l in which said bust portions have-upwardly convergent lower edges defining an inverted V and in which said midriff extends upwardly'in the form of an inverted V between said bust portions,

3. A slip-or like garment having an upper portion and a skirt portion, said portions being joined at the waist line of' the garment, said upper portion comprising front and back parts joined at the sides, said front part includingbust cup formingportions and a midriff, said midrifi extending between said cup portions and the Waist of the gar- -ment, said skirt portion having a front and back, means joining said front and back at their sides for a substantial part of the length thereof from the hem line of the garment to a point substantially below the upper part of the hip covering portions of the skirt, and said skirt portion having insets comprising panels inserted between the said back and front of the skirt portion above said means joining said front and back and extending from said means upwardly to the Waist line of the garment, said midriff and said skirt insets being formed of relatively highly elastic material having stretch characteristics in circumferential and longitudinal directions with the remaining portions of the garment being generally of inelastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,465 Aronson Oct. '16, 1934 2,288,905 Jackson July 7, 1942 2,310,855 Manson Feb. 9, 1943 2,406,849 Noviek Sept. 3, 1946, 2,443,225 Cadous June 15, 1948 

